Gestational Diabetes may put Mother, Child at Risk of Health Problems

France, Feb. 17 -- According to a new study by a team of researchers from Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, would be mothers who develop diabetes during pregnancy, which is also known as gestational diabetes, may be at an increased risk of several health problems. Their babies may also be at risk of certain health problems.
For the study, the researchers examined the data of over 700,000 births in France which took place after 28 weeks of pregnancy in 2012.
The findings of the study revealed that the mothers who developed diabetes during pregnancy had 30 percent increased risk of giving birth to a preterm child and 40 percent higher risk of giving birth through a C-section. Moreover, these women had 70 percent greater chances of having preeclampsia/eclampsia, a condition where blood pressure increases to very high levels.
The study also noted that the babies born to women with gestational diabetes had 80 percent increased risk of significantly larger-than-average size at birth.
The findings of the study were published in the journal, Diabetologia.